1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus and a method of controlling an imaging apparatus, and more particularly, it relates to an imaging apparatus comprising a remote controller including a motion detecting portion detecting movement and a method of controlling the imaging apparatus.
2. Description of the Background Art
An imaging apparatus comprises a remote controller including a motion detecting portion detecting movement is known in general, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open Nos. 2008-42748, 2004-348616, 6-311564 and 2006-287581, for example.
The aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2008-42748 discloses an audio and visual apparatus comprising a remote controller including a motion control sensor having an acceleration sensor detecting two-axial linear movement and a geomagnetic sensor detecting the quantity of rotation for three-axial direction, an operator having a button, a control portion determining operation from output of the motion control sensor and a signal transmission portion outputting a signal regarding the operation, and a television image receiving apparatus receiving the signal regarding the operation and performing processing corresponding to this signal. This audio and visual apparatus is so formed as to perform previously determined processing for the television image receiving apparatus when the motion control sensor detects any of anteroposterior linear movement, horizontal linear movement, rotation about a X-axis, rotation about a Y-axis and rotation about a Z-axis of the remote controller in a state where the button is pushed. This audio and visual apparatus is formed so as not to perform operation of the television image receiving apparatus in a state where the button is not pushed.
The aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2004-348616 discloses an information processor comprising a remote controller including a X-axis angle detecting portion, a Y-axis angle detecting portion and a Z-axis angle detecting portion detecting rotational states when rotating about a X-axis, a Y-axis and a Z-axis, respectively and a selection portion having an input button, an image recorder including a character control portion and a television image receiver displaying a screen (graphical user interface) on which characters are circularly arranged. This information processor is so formed that the selected character is switched in the same direction as a rotational direction of the remote controller in response to a rotational state of the remote controller transmitted from the remote controller and the selected character is selected and determined in response to selection information by pushing the input button.
The aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 6-311564 discloses a remote control system employing a transmitter (remote controller) including an angular speed sensor detecting an angular speed, a switch such as an execution switch and a transmission portion transmitting a control signal, and a television displaying a cursor and selection items (graphical user interface) arranged in the form of a ring. In this remote control system, the cursor showing selection moves in the same direction of a rotational direction of the transmitter (remote controller) on the selection items arranged in the form of the ring in response to the rotational direction of the transmitter, and the selection item on which the cursor is located is selected and determined by pushing the execution switch.
The aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2006-287581 discloses a remote control system employing a remote controller including a sensor detecting movement, a menu button, a control portion and a light-emitting portion emitting light in accordance with a control signal, and a photoreceptive portion receiving light from the light-emitting portion, a control portion, an overlay graphics processing portion and a display portion displaying an operator interface screen having icons and a pointer. In this remote control system, the operator interface screen and the pointer are displayed to overlap with a television image displayed on the display portion by the overlay graphics processing portion by pushing the menu button, and the pointer moves in the same direction as movement of the remote controller in response to the movement of the remote controller transmitted from the light-emitting portion. Then, the menu button is pushed again, so that the icon on which the pointer is located is selected and determined and execution of various functions corresponding to the selected icon is instructed.
Further, an apparatus comprising a motion detecting portion detecting movement on the apparatus body including a display screen portion is known in general. For example, Japanese Patent No. 4000570 discloses an information processor (PDA) comprising a three-axis gyro sensor detecting three-axial movement, a housing provided with an operating button, a control portion, a LCD displaying a cursor and a menu (graphical user interface). This information processor is so formed that a drum-shaped menu displayed on the LCD rotates in association with rotation of the information processor (apparatus body) when the rotation of the information processor is detected by the three-axis gyro sensor in a state where the operating button is pushed down, and the drum-shaped menu is stopped rotating when pushing-down of the operating button is cancelled and the menu item displayed in the cursor is selected and determined. This information processor is so formed that rotation of the information processor is not detected by the three-axis gyro sensor in a state where the operating button is not pushed down.
In the audio and visual apparatus described in aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2008-42748, however, the remote controller must be rotated in the state where the button is pushed down in order to perform the processing for the television image receiving apparatus. At this time, it is disadvantageously difficult for an operator to largely rotate the remote controller in the state where the button is pushed down. Thus, operability of the remote controller is conceivably disadvantageously deteriorated.
In the information processor (remote control system) described in each of the aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open Nos. 2004-348616 and 6-311564, it may be conceivably disadvantageously difficult to push down the input button (execution switch) depending on the rotational state of the remote controller (transmitter) when the selection and determination are made. Thus, operability of the information processor (remote control system) is conceivably disadvantageously deteriorated.
In the remote control system described in the aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2006-287581, there is conceivably a high possibility that the button is wrongly pushed down in a case where a plurality of buttons are provided, since the menu button must be pushed down a plurality of times when selection and determination are made. Thus, operability of the remote control system is conceivably disadvantageously deteriorated.
The information processor described in aforementioned Japanese Patent No. 4000570 is an apparatus for simultaneously operating the menu of the display screen by detecting the movement of the information processor body apparatus such as PDA having the display screen (LCD) and is completely different from the present invention comprising a remote controller including a motion detecting portion and an imaging instrument remote-controlled by a remote controller in the supposed technology.